One of the lesser-known areas of the Dominican Republic, San Jose de Ocoa, nestled in the heart of the Central Mountains, provides more than a third of the vegetables that arrive on the family table. As well as vegetables, the region also makes up a significant proportion of the national production of coffee and avocados. The Listin Diario reports that over 6,000 farmers cultivate 50,000 “tareas”(3100 hectares) of vegetables, 150,000 “tareas” (nearly 10,000 hectares) of coffee and 15,000 “tareas” (nearly 1000 hectares) of avocados. Just recently the area brought in a 10 million pound onion crop. Only 93 kilometers from Santo Domingo, San Jose de Ocoa still enjoys the slow pace of rural life. A new province which was created in 2000, Ocoa is 855 square kilometers in size and has a population of 63,000 people. The beautiful mountains, rivers and waterfalls provide an excellent setting for eco-tourism, and the area is becoming increasingly popular with visitors.